Reviewing the top reasons why water is good for you.
It’s the gift of life, liquid gold. There is nothing more refreshing than water. More than ever, it is packaged for individual consumption, and almost unbelievably it is second in popularity – only to soft drinks.
Certainly some of us were skeptical of the old published advice that recommended we drink eight glasses of water a day. That may be a bit much, and hey, ever hear of conservation? But there’s no doubt that we do need water daily, it is absolutely essential to living. And the truth is we are constantly ‘losing’ water, in the form of urine, sweat, even breathing. You just gotta keep yourself replenished. We’ve all experienced various levels of dehydration before, it’s not always life threatening, but coupled with circumstances such as heavy exercise, high altitudes, and hot temperatures, it can be worrisome. Fortunately it is easy to alleviate that concern.
Here are the primary reasons why drinking a sufficient amount of H2O is important:
1. Balance
Water aids in maintaining an ideal balance of bodily fluids. When you consider that the human body is made up of around 60% water, this is a big deal. The functions that benefit from a good balance and work properly as a result of it are digestion, absorption, circulation, nutrient disbursement, saliva creation and body temperature maintenance. When the body is low on fluids, it triggers a thirst reaction. You can quench it with nearly anything besides alcohol (it only serves to cause dehydration).
2. Calorie Control
Although drinking a lot of water isn’t fully effective as a sole means of attempted weight loss, permanently substituting it for soft drinks does have a profound effect – you WILL see a difference. Plus, if you eat a greater variety of water-rich foods, you could be getting healthier while limiting calorie intake. Fruits, veggies, soups, oatmeal and beans are all great foods that require more chewing and are slowly absorbed. Meanwhile, we feel full and satisfied so we’re less inclined to snack on high calorie junk.
3. Muscle Energy
Muscle fatigue is caused by the depletion of electrolytes. When cells don’t maintain a balance of fluids they don’t work optimally. The number one rule during exercising is to drink plenty of fluids. You want to go into your routine refreshed and you want to maintain replenishment. Technically, drinking 17 ounces of fluid two hours before exercise is recommended and at regular intervals thereafter so that water lost by sweating may be replaced.
4. Good Skin
Obviously, our skin is composed of water, and it functions to prevent excessive fluid loss. Everyone knows that dehydrated skin looks dry and wrinkled. Although that general appearance can be improved with proper hydration, it won’t make wrinkles go away – although you can allegedly ‘lock’ moisture in by using a moisturizer for attempting facial line minimization.
5. It’s a Kidney Thing
In order for waste products to be transported in and out of cells, body fluids are necessary. The body’s #1 toxin is called blood urea nitrogen, a water soluble waste that passes through the kidneys so it may be excreted in urine. In order to maintain this function properly, fluid intake must be sufficient. Normally, urine will flow freely, be light-colored and odorless. But if a body is deficient of fluids, the color and smell of urine will intensify as a result of the kidneys need to retain fluid involuntarily. Years of inadequate water intake results in the formation of kidney stones, especially among those who live in warmer areas.
6. Regularity
Normal bowel function is affected by water as well. Proper hydration keeps things moving through the gastrointestinal tract, preventing constipation. Without it, the colon must pull water from excrement to maintain hydration. Ideally, combined properly with the right amount of fiber, the two could promote regularity forever.
In order to benefit from these advantages simply increase your fluid intake by having a beverage with every meal, eating more fruits and veggies (20% of our fluid intake comes from food!) and always having a bottle of water on hand. Not only will your health improve, you’ll feel better, too!